Add Color to Your Home

Simple Rules for Decorating with Color

Follow these simple rules for adding color to your decorating scheme and you’ll end up with results that look great and you love.

For some people decorating with color or changing a decorating scheme is intimidating. No matter how many times you tell them it’s just an accessory or its just paint they’re still afraid to leap off that cliff. Now, with the help of the following color decorating tips you can take that leap and be confident in your color choices.

Test the Color First

Take home a sample of the color you want to add to your home and leave it out for a few days. If you’re reupholstering, get as large a piece of fabric as you can and drape it over the furniture to see how it looks at different times of day and with existing pieces. If you’re painting a wall tape the chip to the wall, get a sample and paint a large swatch on the wall, or if that frightens you, paint a large piece of tag board with the sample paint and prop it up against the wall. Check your new paint color at different times of the day and against your furniture.

60-30-10 for Color Balance

By sticking to the rule of 60-30-10 you’re getting a balance of color that is acceptable and pleasing to most people. No math necessary, simply estimate how much of the room will be the primary color, this should be just over half of the room, usually this is the wall paint color. The secondary color or complementary one should fill up the remaining 30%; typically this will be accomplished by a large bedspread and floor rug or living room furniture. Finally you’ll add your accent color in a small amount, only about 10%, to make that color pop.

Analogous or Complementary

Determine what mood you want to evoke and choose your color scheme accordingly. A complementary color scheme is visually more exciting and creates a more formal mood. To determine complementary colors look at a color wheel and the complementary colors are directly across from each other.

Analogous colors are next to each other on the color wheel and they tend to create a mood which is more soothing and relaxing to the eye. This sort of color scheme works best in less formal rooms.

Consider the Value

Color has value, meaning it’s either light, dark or somewhere in between. Value can throw off the balance of a room and make it look awkward and uneven. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t choose the colors you want but you’ll want to think about their value. Too many dark colors in one area will make the room feel lopsided and heavy. Consider the value of the colors you want to use and their placement to make sure your room feels even and balanced.

Adding color to a room is easy if you follow these simple rules and most importantly, follow your heart and select colors that you really love.